Speedbrakes on the default 737

[Gaz 15]

Hi

Quickie: I think I'm having trouble with my speed brakes. I can see that key 3 retracts them, and 4 extends them, however I'm having trouble finding out how to arm them for landing.

I read somewhere that you simply have to retract them to full (on approach) and that will do it. I tried that, and landed no problem, but when I ran it back on the REPLAY mode, it didn't show that the speed brakes were extended on touchdown.

Is there something I'm missing?

Thanks, Gaz

[Murmur 3,941]

In X-Plane, arming the speedbrakes is done with the first "notch" of extension. So, assuming you have them totally retracted, you should press "4" just once, and the speedbrake lever should move to the "armed" position. In this position, they should remain retracted in flight, but extend automatically upon touchdown.

 

[Gaz 15]

thanks for that. I find it a bit weird because I didn't realise you have to arm it by just clicking 4, I thought of 4 as extending them, which is, of course, not what you want to do on approach. It's a bit opposite than using an airbus. Anyway, thanks for letting me know. I got it working now. 

Gaz

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

Whoa... okay, point of order my friends! 

Spoliers... Spoilers, Spoilers SPOILERS!  😉

There are no speed brakes on the 737 (or any commercial airliner that I'm familiar with).

Best wishes!

 

[Murmur 3,941]

16 minutes ago, DaveCT2003 said:

Whoa... okay, point of order my friends! 

Spoliers... Spoilers, Spoilers SPOILERS!  😉

There are no speed brakes on the 737 (or any commercial airliner that I'm familiar with).

Best wishes!

Well, if official B737 manuals use the term "speedbrakes" multiple times, I'm ok with using the term too 🙂 :

[Gaz 15]

58 minutes ago, DaveCT2003 said:

There are no speed brakes on the 737

I don't understand....  If that is the case, what 'panels' were coming up from the top of the wing whenever I've been on an aircraft that had literally just touched down?  In addition, I've seen those panels help an aircraft to descend and turn quicker...

I thought they were called spoilers or speedbrakes?  In any case, those panels I am referring to are doing as I expected thanks to the comments above.

Gaz

[JRBarrett 3,038]

2 hours ago, DaveCT2003 said:

Whoa... okay, point of order my friends! 

Spoliers... Spoilers, Spoilers SPOILERS!  😉

There are no speed brakes on the 737 (or any commercial airliner that I'm familiar with).

Best wishes!

 

In the literal sense that’s correct. True “speed brakes”, which are most often found on military fighters, are surfaces extended into the air stream specifically to slow the aircraft aerodynamically by dramatically increasing drag.They serve no other purpose.

Speed brakes are usually deployed by unusually powerful hydraulic actuators, and are normally of very rugged construction due to the extreme air loads they can be subjected to. Rather than being attached to the upper surface of the wings, “true” speed brakes are typically deployed from the fuselage. Either from the sides, the lower surface, or sometimes from the upper surface.

Though the upper wing panels we are all talking about are actually “spoilers” in an aerodynamic sense, (in that their primary function when deployed symmetrically is to “spoil” lift), Boeing, in the 737 manuals, consistently refers to them as “speed brakes” when used in the flight spoiler roll. See page 4.22 of the Boeing FCTM supplied with the PMDG NGX for an example. 

[Gaz 15]

I don't know about the military jets, and to be honest I didn't know whether to call them speedbrakes or spoilers, but in the past I've always used the term speedbrakes.

Anyway, thanks for everyone's help, I have it covered - it's just a sense of getting used to it!

Gaz

[indyrocks 2]

The same structures perform two different functions. When they're used in the air to slow down (usually during descent), they are acting as speedbrakes. When they extend after landing to help dump lift, they are spoilers. There's nothing wrong with using either term since we all know what is being discussed.

[janbergwall01 10]

Boeing 737 pilots call speedbrakes/spoilers for noisemakers because of the low efficiency :).